Fan motor mounting structure for room air conditioners



June 25, 1957 s. E. ROSE 2,796,745

FAN MOTOR MOUNTING STRUCTURE FOR ROOM AIR CONDITIONERS Filed May 18,1956 F'lC-LI UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUIJU FIG. 2.

INVENTOR. 5313 N LE Y E. RosE BY 4; c? 316 HIS ATTORNEY FAN MOTORMOUNTING STRUCTURE FOR ROOM Am CQNDITIONERS Stanley E. Rose, Erie, Pa.,assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New YorkApplication May 18, 1956, Serial No. 585,764

2 Claims. (Cl. 62-4129) The present invention relates to room airconditioners and more particularly to a fan motor mounting and coolingarrangement for such apparatus.

Room air conditioners usually comprise a casing or housing, a partitionor barrier dividing the easing into indoor and outdoor air compartmentsand a refrigerating apparatus including an indoor heat exchanger or coildisposed in the indoor compartment and an outdoor heat exchanger -orcoil disposed in the other compartment. A fan is provided in eachcompartment for circulating room air through the indoor air compartmentand over the indoor heat exchanger and outdoor air over the other heatexchanger. In a typical arrangement, the air circulating means comprisesa pair of fans mounted on a common shaft extending through the partitionand driven by an electric motor which is usually disposed in the outdoorair compartment in such a position that its heat losses can be given upto the outdoor air circulated through that compartment.

As such units are designed to be mounted in the window or other wallopening of the enclosure being conditioned, it is desirable that thewidth and height of the units be such that the units can be received insuch openings and that their length or depth be such as to provideminimum projection of the casing beyond the interior and exterior wallsurfaces. Because of these dimension limitations, space within thecasing is at a premium so that any arrangement or design of the variousoperating components such as the air circulating means which willconserve space is highly desirable. It is a primary object of thepresent invention to provide an improved means for mounting the drivemotor for the air circulating means such that the length of the meansand hence the affected dimension of the unit can be held to a minimum.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved meansfor mounting the fan motor within the partition or barrier dividing thecasing into two compartments.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fan motor mountingarrangement providing adequate cooling of the motor with minimumrestriction to the flow of air through the compartments.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for mounting the fanmotor on the partition or barrier of an air conditioner which serves notonly to provide adequate cooling of the motor by the outdoor fan but inaddition is of such construction as to protect the motor from harmfuleffects of any moisture present in the outdoor compartment.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent as the following description proceeds and the features ofnovelty will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed toand forming part of this specification. t

In carrying out the object of the invention, there is provided an airconditioning apparatus including a casing and a partition dividing thecasing into separate inspaced relationship With the cup-shaped members.

Patented June 25, 1957 door and outdoor compartments. Means forcirculating room air over a heat exchanger disposed in the indoorcompartment and outdoor air over a heat exchanger disposed in theoutdoor compartment comprises a pair of fans mounted on opposite ends ofa common drive shaft and driven by a motor positioned on the shaftbetween the fans and supported within an opening provided in thepartition. Means for supporting the motor'in this position comprises twoopposed, symmetrical, cupshaped members Whose peripheral edges aresecured to the partition adjacent the opening therein and which coperateto form a hollow shell enclosing the motor. The opposed bottom walls ofthe cup-shaped members are provided with central openings for receivingthe drive shaft and shoulder portions, provided on the bottom walls ofthe members, serve to support the motor in In order to ventilate andcool the motor, the cup-shaped member extending into the outdoorcompartment contains a first series of openings in the bottom wallthereof for permitting cooling air from the outdoor fan to enter theshell and a second series of holes in its side walls through which theair leaves after first circulating through and around the motor.

For a more detailed description of the invention, reference is made tothe following description taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical side view partially in section of an airconditioning apparatus incorporating my invention; and

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged elevation view, partially in section,of my improved motor mounting and cooling means.

Referring now to Fig. 1, I have shown therein an air conditioning unitof which my invention is a part. The air conditioning unit is arrangedto be positioned within an enclosure and is used to condition the airwithin the enclosure. Part of the outer casing of the air conditioningunit has been removed in order to show the various arrangements of theparts of the unit.

The air conditioning unit consists of a casing 1, an indoor section 2and an outdoor section 3 separated by a partition means 4 extending thewidth and height of the unit. The entire unit is supported on a base pan5 containing a formed sump 5a within the outdoor section of the unit.The unit 1 contains a refrigeration system comprising a pair of heatexchangers 6, 7 arranged within the indoor section 2 and the outdoorsection 3 respectively. The heat exchangers 6 and 7 are preferably ofthe coil and fin type generally used in refrigeration systems and areappropriately connected in refrigerant flow circuit with a compressor(not shown). The compressor may be of any desired type and theinterconnecting conduits are omitted to simplify the circuit.

The heat exchange 6 is arranged within the indoor section 2 of the unitand is connected within the refrigeration system so as to act as anevaporating or cooling unit. Thus room air is drawn into the unitthrough an opening 8 and moved over the evaporator coil 6 where the heatwithin the room air is absorbed by the refrigerant flowing through theevaporator.

The heat exchanger '7, which is arranged within the outdoor section 3 ofthe unit, is connected into the refrigeration system as a condensingunit.

Outside air is drawn into the outdoor section 3 of the unit through theopening 9 and moved over the condenser coil 7 where the heat absorbedfrom the room air by the refrigerant flowing Within the evaporator 6 istransferred to the outside air as it moves over the condenser 7 and isdischarged through the opening 10.

During the operation of the unit, the cooling of the room air by theevaporating unit 6 results in a condensation on the surfaces of theevaporator coil. This condensate is collected by means not shown andtransferred to base pan sump :1. I

In order to provide for the circulation of the room an over theevaporator 6, air moving means such as a propeller-type fan 12 isarranged within the indoor section 2 adjacent the air inlet 8. The fan12 is mounted on one end of the shaft 14 of a motor 15. By means of asecond air moving means such as a fan 16 arranged within the outdoorsection 3 behind the opening 9, the outside air is moved over thecondenser coil 7. This fan 16 is mounted on the outer end of motor shaft14 and is arranged to be driven thereby. A slinger ring 160 on fan 16picks up condensate in the sump 5a and throws it into the air streampassing through condenser 7.

Referring now to Fig. 2, I have shown therein an enlarged view of my newand novel arrangement for mounting the motor 15 on the partitioningmeans 4 of the unit 1. More specifically, the partitioning means 4 isprovided with an opening 18 sufliciently large to freely receive thehousing 19 of the motor 15. This opening 18 is preferably circular inshape to conform to the conventional circular motor housing but may beof any desired shape whereby a motor can be conveniently placed withinthe opening.

In order to support the motor Within the opening 18 of the partitioningmeans 4, I provide a pair of complementary cupped members or half-shells20 and 21. Each of the cupped members contains a flange 22 and 23 formedperipherally around the edge portions of each cup. Thus when the twocupped members or half-shells are brought together with their flangededge portions 22 and 23 in opposing relationship a housing or shell isformed in which the motor may be enclosed.

In order to provide for positioning motor 15 within the enclosure formedby the half-shells 20 and 21, each of the half-shells contains integralrecessed portions or wells 25 and 26 respectively. The recesses 25, 26are so formed that their shoulder portions 27 and 28 will receive andsupport the outer peripheries of the resilient mounting rings 29 and 30.The recesses also contain centrally arranged openings 31 and 32 throughwhich the motor shaft 14 projects when the motor is in the mountedposition. As will be noted in Fig. 2, the openings 31 and 32 have adiameter only slightly larger that the outer diameter of the motor shaftto minimize the leakage of air through the openings.

The mounting of the motor 15 within the air conditioning unit 1 isaccomplished by bringing the flanged edge portions 22 and 23 of thecupped members respectively against opposite sides of the partitioningmeans 4 with the resilient motor mounts 29 and 30 inserted within thecorresponding recessed portions 25 and 26 and the motor shaft 14extending through the openings 31 and 32. By means such as a pluralityof bolts 34 the half-shells are brought together to form an enclosingshell or housing for the motor 15. Thus the motor 15 is securelypositioned within an enclosing housing formed by the halfshellscentrally arranged within the opening 18 of the partitioning means 4 andsupported at each end by the cooperation between the motor mounts 29 and30 and the recesses 27 and 28 respectively. The extensions of shaft14pass through the openings 31 and 32 and the fans 16 and 12 are suitablyattached to opposite ends of the shaft 14 to be driven thereby.

It will be noted that the cupped members or halfshells are of suchcontours and size that in the assembled position, a space 36 is providedbetween the outer surface of the motor housing 19 and the inner surfaceof the shell. This shape of the shell thus provides clearance around themotor for the mechanical assembly in addition to providing for thecirculation of cooling air through the space 36 around the motor 15.

For cooling the motor, there is a first series of holes or vents 37provided in the bottom wall of the half-shell 20 in the outdoorcompartment 3 in order to permit introduction of air into the shell. Theair entering these vents from the fan 16 passes into the motor housingthrough apertures 38 adjacent the bottom of the housing 19 and aftercirculating through the housing is discharged through openings 39 in theopposite end of the motor housing. The cooling air stream then flowsthrough space 36 and out of the housing through a second series of vents40 provided in the side walls of the cup member 20.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided an improved mountingarrangement for the air circulation fan motor in an air conditioningunit which may be quickly and easily assembled within the unit and willoccupy a minimum of space, an important factor in the design of'acompact air conditioning apparatus. If desired, the shell flanges mayfirst be brought together and the resultant assembly mounted on thepartition 4. My mounting arrangement provides for positioning such amotor on a structural member which minimizes the vibration and noisecommon to air conditioning fan motors while at the same time providing aprotective housing or shield for the motor which presents a smoothcontour for the air flow from the fans, protects the motor from theaccess of water thereto and also includes means for air cooling themotor. My invention not only provides an inexpensive mountingarrangement for the fan motor by a construction which permits the fanmotor to be securely mounted with a conservation of space in thepartition Within the air conditioning unit dividing the unit into indoorand outdoor chambers.

While in accordance with the patent statutes, I have described what atpresent is considered to be the preferred embodiment of my invention, itwill be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes andmodifications -may be made therein without departing from the inventionand it is therefore aimed in the appended claims to cover all suchchanges and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of myinvention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

l. A room air conditioner comprising a casing, a partition dividing saidcasing into separate indoor and outdoor compartments, said partitionhaving an opening therein, air circulating means for circulating airthrough each of 'said compartments comprising a motor disposed in saidopening, a motor drive shaft having the opposite ends thereof extendinginto said compartments, fan means mounted on the ends of said shaft andmeans for supporting said motor comprising a pair of opposed cup-shapedmembers having peripheral edge portions secured to said partitionadjacent said opening with the respective bottoms of said membersextending into said compartments whereby said members form a hollowshell enclosing said motor, each of said members having openings in thebottoms thereof for receiving said shaft, shoulder means within each ofsaid members surrounding said openings and arranged to engage portionsof said motor for supporting said motor in spaced relation with saidmembers, said cup-shaped member extending into said outdoor compartmenthaving a plurality of holes therein for receiving and returning coolingair from the fan disposed in said outdoor compartment.

2. A room air conditioner comprising a casing, a partition dividing saideasing into separate indoor and outdoor compartments, said partitionhaving an opening therein, air circulating means for circulating airthrough each of said compartments comprising a motor disposed in saidopening, a motor drive shaft having the opposite end portions thereofextending into said compartments, fan means mounted on the extendingportions of said shaft and means for supporting said motor comprising apair of opposed cup-shaped members having peripheral edge portionssecured to said portion adjacent said opening with the respectivebottoms of said members extending into said 6 compartments whereby saidmembers form a hollow shell and a. second series of holes in the sidewalls thereof for enclosing said motor, each of said members havingopendischarging air from the interior of said shell. ings in the bottomsthereof for receiving said shaft, shoulder means Within each of saidcup-shaped members References Clted 1n the file of thls Patentsurrounding said openings arranged to clamp upon the 5 UNITED STATESPATENTS 9 P01110118 o d motor for pp s sald motor 2,260,042 McMahan Oct21, 1941 in spaced relation with said members, said cup-shaped 2,294,586Troller Sept. 1, 1942 member extending into said outdoor compartmenthaving 2 332 730 K h 0 t 26 1943 first series of holes in the bottomthereof for receiving uc er u C a 2,724,247 Kurtz Nov. 22, 1955 air fromthe fan disposed in said outdoor compartment 10

